Are 2 coops needed?

[chickengeorgeto]

If I only have one coop, how do you keep the roo from taking care f all the hens? I'm sorry. Total newb here but I really want to learn.

In an imperfect world your broilers (that's meat fowl to you & me) should be cooling their heels in the deep freezer long before they are old enough to learn the facts of life. Besides we are talking about chickens here. Even if a few of your broiler pullets do sneak off behind the barn and play doctor with your roo there will be no half formed baby chickens in your meat pullets' reproductive track to deal with when you butcher them. I am assuming that is why you're asking this question.

There are broiler breeds that are popular with backyard growers that require 6 to 12 months to grow off or get large enough for slaughter but why would anyone want to feed a hoggish broiler for three to nine extra months at an increased cost of $20 to $60 besides running the risk in the meantime of a: fox, coon, possum, hawk, dog, skunk, snake, coyote, mink, weasel, stoat, fisher cat, lynx, owl, or any of the many other things that eat their chicken raw beat you to your hard earned fried chicken dinner?

 

[donsgirl67]

Ok, I do think I get it now. Sorry. Sometimes it takes a minute. So this is my plan. I want to get 6 pullets (hopefully hens) and one roo about the same age to start. They should all be able to live in semi-chicken harmony for quite a while before I have a worry about chicks correct? This would give me time to get together a smaller 'meat' coop that doesn't have to be quite as fancy as the Ladies Auxillary meeting hall, right? No nesting boxes? Just room, roost, run?

 

[Egghead_Jr]

Correct. A grow out coop is simple. When we first started out we were thinking of a tractor (move around the yard for fresh grass) but by the time I built the coop part realized it was far too big and the run too small. So the coop below went on stilts in a 10X10 dog kennel and the old children's plastic play house was repurposed to fit on the tractor (with bigger wheels) for a grow out pen. Just added roosts and wire to the windows.

We hatch each spring our own eggs and I've a broody hen that seems to like to hatch her own early summer. A grow out coop is ideal. I slaughter my 12 to14 weeks cockerels, plymouth rocks, that result in near 3 lbs dressed. Sell off the extra and older pullets/hens. If a hen is older than 1.5 years i.e. 2+ years I make pot pie.

We raise Plymouth Rock as it's one of the many excellent dual purpose breeds out there. 200 eggs per year each bird and large enough for decent meat broiler.

 

[donsgirl67]

If you let the broody hen hatch the eggs, do you have to have to put her and the chicks in a separartecoop then or can you just segregate them in the existing laying hen coop?

 

[donsgirl67]

I should just change my user name to 1 million and 1 questions.

 

[loveourbirds]

If you let the broody hen hatch the eggs, do you have to have to put her and the chicks in a separartecoop then or can you just segregate them in the existing laying hen coop?

if they have a large enough area to run, you can normally let the hens hatch right in with the rooster. if the area is to small the rooster will typically become "bored" and start pecking at the chicks. mom will usually protect them, it may help to put a place in the coop or run where the chicks can get and the rooster cant - in case he gets grouchy.

 

[donsgirl67]

Great. Thanks so much for all the help all.

 

[Shadow722]

I like this setup. I need to build one like this for when I start hatching eggs to get the momma hen and chicks away from the rest of the flock.

 

[loveourbirds]

there is a similar coop design in my signature for DIYers. the "looking for plans similar to" link. read it all the way though and get all materials lists, i kind of explained it on the fly.